The European Commission has approved Ukraine’s application to purchase interceptor missiles for Patriot air defence systems using funds from the EU’s €90 billion loan.
An EU official told Suspilne.
Ukraine submitted the request on 3 September under the Ukraine Support Loan programme. Kyiv asked for more than €2 billion to buy interceptor missiles for Patriot systems.
Earlier, the European Commission said it would consider Ukraine’s request as quickly as possible.
- On 2 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the EU had received a request from Ukraine to fund air defence.
- “I can confirm that we have received a new request for funding. It concerns several billion euros that are to go towards Ukraine’s air defence, including high-tech Patriot PAC-3 systems,” she said after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
- At the same time, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas urged EU member states to transfer the necessary interceptor missiles to Ukraine, including those nearing the end of their shelf life.
- Ukraine also has agreements with the United States for monthly deliveries of interceptor missiles for Patriot. President Zelenskyy has stressed the shortage of such missiles and noted that to get through the winter period Ukraine needs to receive at least about 5% of US production of these munitions.